I am very aware of the threat posed to tillage farmers by herbicide resistant grass weeds such as blackgrass. My Department has been proactive on the issue of Blackgrass for many years.
Last year, I brought in new legislation to add blackgrass to the schedule of the Noxious Weed Act. This allows my Department to take action where individual farmers are allowing Blackgrass to proliferate or spread on their farms and, in doing so, put other growers at risk.
It is over 10 years since my Department agreed a Higher Voluntary Standard with the Irish Seed Industry for seed grown and certified here in Ireland. This higher voluntary standard has a zero tolerance for Blackgrass at all stages of the seed certification process.
In 2023, with the increasing interest in cover crops, a Higher Voluntary Standard for cover crops was also agreed with the Irish Seed Trade. This higher seed standard is based on imported seed lots being sampled and tested to globally recognised standards for the presence of Blackgrass, Sterile Brome and Wild Oats. Cover crop seed that meets this standard can be declared as Higher Voluntary Standard.
I fully understand the concerns on the importation of straw and the potential for it to contain herbicide-resistant weed seeds.
Within the EU there is free movement of straw, while the import of straw from outside the EU is not subject to phytosanitary checks under EU Plant Health Regulations. There is no legal basis therefore to prohibit the importation of straw.
As an industry, we can minimise the importation of straw by co-operating across sectors. I would urge farmers to carefully consider the risks associated with imported straw recognising the need to protect farms from herbicide-resistant weeds.
